RP:All's Fair in Love and War

From HollowWiki

Part of the Rise of Larket Arc



Summary: After the kingsguard attack Lionel and Stroud, then defend themselves from dinosaurs because ??????? King Macon stomps through the fort in search of Josleen, who is not there. After having a rage conniption, he waits for the Thane for arrives in the Throne room. He tells her the news and ask she write a letter immediately. She agrees, and together King and Thane craft a letter intended for Hildegarde meant to deescalate the tense political climate. Immediately after, Macon informs Josleen that he -will- defend his castle and prepare for the worst, which Josleen correctly understands to mean he will attack Hildegarde if he must. Angered, Josleen tells him this is a mistake, threatens something he holds dear, then storms out of the throne room to deliver the letter.


Larket: Throne Room

Macon has very very recently been informed by a young member of his Kingsguard who has survived a close encounter with Krice, Lionel, and a dinosaur, that he and four other Kingsguard, led by Maureen (snitch), had an encounter with Krice, Lionel, and a dinosaur. More importantly he has been told that the Larketians were the aggressors and that a Frostmawian, among others, was killed. The King has already cycled through, confusion, concern for the fallen and still missing Larketians, anger (of course) that he somehow does not take out on the young swordsman, and moves to anxiety (not panic, come on. He's a king). The Fury Knight, after dismissing the bearer of bad news with a single order of “Find Maureen,” seeks out his Frostmawian contact. Josleen is not in the clinic. Eye twitch. “Where is Josleen?” One of the nurses gives an honest shrug. A pulse of rage flows out from the king and he spins and leaves. She is not in her room. On the way there, Macon growls at one or two more servants that do not know the bard’s location either. “Where is the Thane?” He has finally come across someone with an answer of something like ‘Your Highness, she left the fort a little while ago.’ This too earns a low growl, but at least he knows, “Find ‘er. Bring ‘er back immediately.” This particular servant is not a ‘finder’, really doesn't want to leave the fort, and looks confused at the order, “Your hig-...” Macon levels a stone glare at the man before turning and reassuring the order to the nearest guard wherever they may be, “Josleen is in the city. Find ‘er and bring ‘er t’the Throne Room. Now.” The guard nods and is quickly on his way, maybe gathering another of his comrades or two before exiting the fort onto the streets of Larket. Macon makes his way to the two seats of power for Larket. He paces briefly in front of them before dropping into the one previously meant for Jacklin, sets elbows on knees and chin in hand, and starts thinking about what in the world his next move is.


Run-ins with Krice, Sabrina, and Valen have driven Josleen out of the fort more and more frequently in recent days. Who else will she run into? When did the fort and academy become so popular? For the first time in her life she finds herself floundering in conversations. The war, Kelovath, and (though she’s unlikely to admit it) Macon consume the bulk of her thoughts. And she cannot share these thoughts with even the most well-intentioned friends because they are state secrets, great embarrassments, and potentially seditious, in that order. Best to not speak at all, and so she leaves the fort, often in the company of Gigi, except on rare occasion when Gigi prefers Macon’s company. The poodle likes to join the king on his short-but-necessary runs (can’t risk getting winded in battle!), and has taken to sniffing all the sweaty clothes he can find in the training area, regardless of who they belong too. The guards find Josleen walking down the wealthiest residential street in Larket, admiring the houses and gardens with covetous eyes. They wisely brought a carriage to shorten the short-tempered King’s wait time. ‘The King demands your presence.’ Josleen’s heart skips and falters. Did they find him? Is Kelovath here, arrested? She clambers into the carriage so fast she -almost- shuts the door on Gigi’s pom-pom tail. When they reach the fort, she flies out of the carriage so fast she nearly trips over the dog’s pom-pom paws, but catches her footing, and lifts up the voluminous silk of her dress, and races for the Throne room as quickly as femenine fashion permits (not very). As soon as she sees Macon she asks, a little out of breath due to this darned foreign corset, “Did they find him?”


Macon often has been caught growling in the direction of Gigi and probably earned a few in return from the animal especially in the first few days of the dog living at the fort after Thronnel returned her to Josleen. When he is sure no one with an important opinion is watching, the king has been feeding the dog table scraps and playing fetch (only indoors. Gigi refuses to fetch things that have touched dirt.) The Rage Knight is outside of his armor, and thus outside of the effects of the curse Thronnel placed on it. He has noticed the increased fatigue lately, particularly during armored sprints with the dog, but does not suspect foul play just yet. By the time Josleen arrives, The king has been working through scenarios in his mind for some time and he is so far down the rabbit hole he cannot even comprehend who it is the Thane thinks ‘they found’. “Wha..?” Macon raises a brow and questions her, “Who?” He rises from his seated position and shakes his head, not waiting for an answer. He tries his best to explain calmly the situation. That rogue Kingsguard have launched an attack on Frostmawians and killed at least one. He has concluded that they can no longer wait for Kelovath’s capture as planned, and that the dragon queen must be contacted immediately. During his explanation he leaves the front of the Throne and moves towards Josleen, he also realizes who she was asking about when she showed up and barely flinches, not skipping a beat.


“K-ke” Josleens stutters the name in disbelief that Macon doesn’t immediately know who she is talking about. She doesn’t finish the name; Macon doesn’t let her. She listens and her jaw slackens, eyes widen as the gravity of the situation is immediately felt. At the Frostmawian death she gasps into her hand. Josleen knows her queen well. Hildegarde will not debate what to do for long. A counter-strike is as imminent as tomorrow. “I will write her right away.” The way Macon moves towards her, his gait and expression, reveal an anxiety she’s never seen in him before. He should be anxious, and so is she, more for his sake than her own. When Macon reaches her, she takes his hand automatically, without realizing she has done so, seeking to comfort him if she can. “Is there anything you want me to include?” Before he can answer she’s spinning around in search of “Paper!” she shouts over her shoulder in the direction she expects a servant to be. There is no one there. She’s never shouted a command (in -this- fort) in this way before. It’s clear she’s just as agitated as the king, indeed it’s sure to be equal due to their shared rage connection. It focuses them on a common goal that feels natural, and is in part natural, and in part an aberration. She pulls away from Macon to stalk off in the direction where a servant should be. As soon as one stumbles into her line of sight she shouts, “Paper! And a quill!” The servant stumbles away and just as she turns back towards Macon, Gigi bounds into the room, oblivious to the tension. He races for Macon excitedly, jumping up and down and pawing at Macon’s hip. {{Hi, hi, hi,hi, I had a great walk, I smelled poops, I met a man-dog [Hudson, lycan], etc.}} “Gigi, not now,” Josleen scolds in a much softer tone than she used with the human servant. Gigi is, after all, a precious and flawless creature. Ignoring Gigi, she looks at Macon for an answer to her question. Worry settles into her brow, and she rubs her collarbone in her usual nervous tic.


Macon keeps up the calm act despite the fact Josleen can clearly see through it into his anxiety at this development, this -betrayal-, by those entrusted with protecting his life. Before she can take it away when she goes to find someone to bark at, he gives her hand a squeeze. A futile attempt at reassuring her and himself that she can fix this and that their fears of all out war will not come to pass. When she goes on her mild rampage in search of someone that can bring her paper and quill he sees the fury that they now share, but he cannot yet comprehend what only the headmaster of the Academy of Magics suspects to be true; that Josleen is also developing that connection to the maddening effect of the Rage Stone via ‘exposure’ to Macon. When Gigi arrives, both the king and Thane only superficially show annoyance with the animal, she dismissing it, and him keeping up his act of disdain through a growl that is playfully reciprocated by the dog. ‘What should she include?’ His stone stare catches the question in the look Josleen gives him, and he struggles with an answer. Obviously the ‘Kelovath is a villain’ suite must be in there, but this latest attack needs to be decoupled with the King. He made no such order, and is himself tracking down those responsible. Macon looks to the bard, silently asking with that glance if she thinks The Queen will believe a word of that. He sees her indulging in that nervous tic and wishes that there was a way to get her to stop… Paper and quill are coming. That'll stop it soon enough, hopefully.


Josleen nods with his points, none of them surprising, but then again, what did she want him to say? The magic words that once writ upon the page and sent to Frostmaw will broker peace immediately? They don’t exist. “Macon,” she sighs his name regretfully in response to his silent question. “This letter is a risk too. It’s a bigger mistake not to send it, of course. But…” The servant returns with the paper and quill and interrupts Josleen’s thought. She takes the writing supplies then instructs the servant to find ‘her’ only trusted maid to root around in her desk for her Thane’s seal and wax. Once the servant is gone, Josleen turns back to Macon, but this time when she sees his face she winces a little because she knows how likely it is that a dragon will very soon be clawing that handsome face right off his skull. She shivers at the macabre daydream conjured by her vivid, bard’s imagination. Her head shakes a few times to rid herself of the thought like a dog shakes to rid itself of water. She draws in close to him as if her presence will shield him from dragon claws, which is in part true. But it is also true that it is only because of her presence that he is in so much danger. Gigi belatedly picks up on the mood of the room. Boring! He lays down and rests his head despondently on his front paws. This sucks. Needs more sausage. Joslen continues, “I would bet that when she reads my letter she will come here immediately, and she won’t be pleased. I can only hope she comes with a mind to talk this through, but… I don’t think you understand.” That a dragon queen is saurian-obsessed with, and possibly in love with, Josleen? How could he understand. “I should write this,” she says quickly before she accidentally fearmongers some more. Without thinking much of it, she sits once again in Jacklin’s throne and uses an end table as a desk. She writes ‘Dearest Hilde,’ but does not read the intimate address aloud. She also writes but does not read: ‘It has been too long since my last letter, and if you’ve been fretting about my whereabouts, I am sorry to worry you. I hope it puts your mind at ease to know that I am unharmed and at liberty. It may surprise you to learn that I am in Larket. I have recently discovered facts about Kelovath that bring me shame. I am embarrassed that I trusted, and asked you to trust, a man that I now know to be vile, if not evil. King Macon found me in Cenril, but has not harmed me and has treated me well. I have been keen to help him capture Kelovath because I want answers and justice for myself, and for Frostmaw, too. When we next meet I will tell you every detail about Kelovath’s betrayal. I would prefer to tell you in person because it is so close to my heart and it feels too cold to write down something which has shaken me to my core. Besides, I write this letter to address a more urgent matter.’ Now she begins to read aloud as she writes, looking for Macon’s approval on her word choices and taking into consideration his suggested edits. If Macon looms over Josleen’s shoulder to read the whole of the letter, he can see everything above as well. She doesn’t hide it. ‘By now you have heard of the attack on Frostmawian citizens by Larketian soldiers. I beg you to consider the fact that King Macon did not order the attack, that those soldiers acted on their own, and that they will be duly punished, and Frostmaw’s losses will be acknowledged and amended as best they can be and in accordance with an agreement between you and King Macon if you choose to meet with him. As your Thane I advise you at least meet with him before retaliating. King Macon approached me because he wishes to broker peace between Frostmaw and Larket. I believe his intentions. You should appraise him yourself as your judgment exceeds mine in matters of war. I stress again that he has treated me well, and provided for me in a manner befitting a member of a royal court. Look forward to seeing you. With love, Jos’


Macon is well aware of Josleen’s concern over sending this letter. They have discussed it before, more than once. Kelovath’s capture and confession was meant to soften the assumed harsh reaction of the silver, but Macon (and perhaps the thane) has considered that even with that, Hildegarde might still be set off by the location of the bard (ie. In Macon’s clutches). Gigi, as she always does when taking up that position she is currently in takes in a deep breath and lets out a quick, audible sigh through nostrils, attention seeking... Indeed, The King of Larket does not understand fully the fear The Thane has over sending this letter. He's looted The Dragon's -finest- treasure and spirited her away to Larket. The treasure sits in Jacklin’s Throne and Macon doesn't flinch. He won't sit in the decidedly worse Parsithius chair though, and instead does move around to Josleen’s side to snoop on the entire letter. He doesn't suspect she might purposefully write anything that would bring him harm, he is just plain curious. It is far more formal than anything the former sheriff and soldier would have written, which is part of the reason he has much of his mail screened and responded to by fort staffers. Still he makes use of his experience with twisting words and does point to one or two phrases contained in the letter to be revised subtly to make them sound more amicable to the dragon. Once he has given his final edit and nod of approval he looks to the woman sitting in -his- throne and asks for her understanding when he says, “We mus’ prepare for the worst…” this is likely a use of the Royal We…


‘Prepare for the worst?’ Josleen twists around in the throne to look up sternly at Macon behind her. Her stare narrows, a line deepening between her brow. “What exactly do you mean?” She points up towards the parapets. “You don’t mean the trebuchets.”


Macon tilts his head slightly and sends Josleen a much milder helping of side eye than he has previously used on those questioning him (Thronnel. Xzavior.) She -knows- he means those trebuchets and so he does not bother to answer what she asks, instead moving onto the ‘why?’ “I won't ‘ave Larketian blood on my ‘ands because I tol’ them t’expect a peaceful dragon from the city of War.” He growls lightly, recalling his last encounter with Hildegarde. “She brought a battalion t’free a single giant… you're worth more than tha’.”


Josleen‘s head shakes in tiny peeved motions. “No.” She says as she snatches the letter off the end table and stands up quickly. She walks several paces away from him then turns around to face him again, lips pursed and arms crossed. “That’s a mistake. You’ll enrage her. You’ll--” She aborts her argument because she knows it is no use with him. Hands lift in an exasperated shrug, palm and letter facing him. “If you hurt her, this--” She gestures between them and her tone threatens whatever this pseudo-relationship is. The end, done. She turns away abruptly again and marches towards the exit, snapping twice for Gigi to follow. He does. Just before reaching the door she pauses to look back at Macon, her gaze regretful and concerned for him too. If Hildegarde hurt Macon, would her relationship with the dragon change? Definitely. The Thane is caught in an impossible position, between her long held loyalties to Frostmaw and her good friend the Queen, and her intimate fondness with Macon, whom she scorns now even as she desires him. Her best bet at saving and keeping them both is this letter in her hand. She leaves, with every intention to find that wax seal of the Thane and send off the letter.


Macon has a smartass response to her advice against engaging the dragon, that he holds his tongue on. Something about promising not to fire first, only last. Josleen threatens whatever they have together should he harm the silver and this gives him pause, but his expression remains flat, again unwavering, and he even wonders if that threat is a bluff. He allows her to leave without another word from him. He feels that war, real war, is closer than it has ever been in his short time as ruler of Larket and he hopes that the Thane’s words can keep it at bay as they are intended to. He will remain in the Throne room for some time after she leaves, eventually falling back into Jacklin chair and dropping his forehead into his hand, pushing brown hair out of place. He envisions a battle and even plans details of it, attempting to ease his mind with a sense of preparedness…